thtjry



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. THURY. TRANSFORMER FOR ELECTRIC GURRENTS.

No. 567,424. Patented-Sept. 8,1896.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v (No Model.)

R. THURY. 1 TRANSFORMER FOR ELECTRIC GURRENTSi No. 567,424. Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. TH URY. TRANSFORMER FOB ELECTRIC GURRBNTS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

R. THURY. TRANSFORMER FOR ELECTRIC OURRENTS.

No. 567,424. Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RENE TI-IURY, OF GENEVA, SWVITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOMPAGNIE DE LINDUSTRIE ELEOTRIQU E, OF SAME PLACE.

TRANSFORMER FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Yatent No. 567,424, dated September 8, 1896.

Application filed February 3, 1896. Serial No. 577,866. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, RENE THURY, electrician, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Geneva, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Transformators for Electric Currents, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the invention is to realize an industrial and economical transformation of a continuous current of constant volume having a variable number of volts into a current of constant potential adapted to be used in circuits for lighting or other purposes.

1 5 I-Ieretofore this transformation has been made by currents of constant intensity and motors acting. upon suitable secondary. generators either directly by fixing the movable'parts of the said motors and generators upon one and the same axis or indirectly by means of transmission devices.

The aforesaid system is sometimes very advantageous, but it has some inconveniences which limit its applications and which I re- 2 5 move by means of my present invention. The said inconveniences are substantially the following ones: first, the very expensive installation; second, the rather low eifect, and, third, the large dimensions required for the 0 machine.

This transformer involves only one inductor and one armature, the latter being formed of a winding of the well-known Pacinotti system as motor or primary winding and a wind- 3 5 .ing of the drum system as generator (or secondary) winding and a regulator for controlling the constant number of volts in the secondary winding. The transformation of a current of a constant number of amperes into 40 a current of a constant number of volts has not been yet effected by means of only one ma chine having a single inductor, on account'of the special difficulties arising from the fact that, both windings of the armature rotating 5 in the same magnetic field with the same velocity, the electromotive force induced in those windings are in the same relation to each other as the number of conductors in series on each winding. Consequently the counter electromotive force of the primary circuit becomes independent of the work produced by the secondary circuit. The workin g of the machine would be impossible without a device by means of which only as much Work can be absorbed as corresponds with the work produced by the secondary coil, that is to say, by which the volts at the terminals of the primary coil may be varied according to the watts produced by the secondary coil, though the electromotive force produced in each conductor of the primary coil is substantially constant.

The case is therefore quite different from that of the transformation of a current of high or low tension and constant potential into a current of a different number of volts of constant potential which presents less practical difficulties.

' I have observed that the sole practical Way of varying the volts absorbed by the pri- 7o mary coil, without varying the electromotive force produced in each of its windings, is to vary the position of the primary brushes by constructing the armature so as to practically realize the said variable position of the brushes without producing sparks. According to my invention this purpose is realized by the following means: first, by proportioning the number of ampere-turns of the inductor and the number of ampere-turns of the induced coil, so as to have the electromotive force of self-induction of one section in the moment of leaving the collector-plates practically annulled by the electromotive force produced in the inductive coil; second, by dividing the induced coil into a sufficient number of divisions for reducing to a minimum the difference of potential between two consecutive plates of the collector. This causes more or less of the windings to be c placed in opposition to one another, altering thus the number of volts absorbed by the primary winding.

1 have found that it is possible to construct a good transformer of currents of constant number of amperes into currents of constant number of volts in connecting the primary brushes with a regulatoror governor formed, for instance, of a centrifugal regulator or of a solenoid-regulator acting upon 10o the position of the brushes. The accompanying drawings show, for instance, the con structions thereof applicable to my invention.

The same construction may of course be used to produce the inverse effect.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section of a transformer of my system provided with a centrifugal regulator or governor. Fig. 2 shows a modification of the automatic regulating or governing device. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a portion of the armature,showing the double coils. Fig. 41s a partial elevation and section of the parts shown in Fig. 3, but more fully and perfeetly illustrating the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 an elevation in larger size, of the means for partially turning and regulating the bruslrearrier of the primarywinding system. Fig. 7 is a diagram in elevation of the circuits of the motor-winding primary coil, and Fig. 8 is a diagram in elevation of the circuits of the generator-windin g secondary coil of the drum system.

In Fig. 8 the N and S pole pieces have been moved outward on a greater radius for elearness and so as not to conflict with the dotted lines.

On the base A of the machine there are mounted the two supports or standards A and A of the axis B, upon which are fixed the following parts: a sleeve C, carrying the armature; cylindrical pieces D with dovetailed circular grooves carrying the insulated connectors or arms E of the secondary coil E; the seeondarycollector or ring of commutator-plates E connected by means of blades c with the said conn ectors E,which are formed so as to work like the wings of a ventilator; the primary collector or ring of comm utatorplates G connected by means of wires G with the primary winding G, and a bevel gearwheel II, acting upon the regulator or governor by means of a corresponding gearwheel II.

To the support A there is affixed an annular bearing-piece a carrying the sleeve 7t of the brush-holder K of the secondary colleetor E To the support A there is affixed an annular bearing-piece a, carrying the sleeve t' of the brush-bearer I of the primary collector G the position of the said brush-bearer I being regulated by the partial turning of the sleeve 2' upon the annular bearing-piece a. The said sleeve 1' is provided with gear-teeth 1. acted upon by the pinion Z, fixed on a shaft L, which carries a bevel-pinion Z which is alternately acted upon either by the bevelwheel m or by the bevel-wheel m of the regulator.

The base A bears, further, an inductor O, that is excitated at will either by the primary current or by a derivation of the secondary current according to circumstances.

The sleeve 0 of the armature is provided with arms 0, insulated by means of platepieces 0 of insulating material and to which is fixed the lamellated core O of the induced coil.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the armature is composed of a primary winding and of a secondary winding disposed according to quite different principles. The primary winding G is of the type of Pacinottis ring and is therefore located between the teeth of the lamellated core O The secondary winding E is disposed according to the drum system on the circumference of the ring and without any connection with the said primary cell G. The perfect insulation of the primary circuit from the axis and metallic mass of the machine is obtained by means of the pieces of insulating material 0, intercalated between the sleeve or hub C and the arms 0. The armature is combined with a magnetic shield interposed between the two coils and formed of a win ding of iron wires P, surrounding an insulating-coating Q. The said iron wires I are further adapted to overcome the centrifugal force acting upon the primary coil and the insulating-coating Q. There is further provided an insulating-coating R,upon which the secondary coil E is disposed according to the usual drum system and provided with a protecting-coating \V and an insulating-coating IV, the connecting-blades E with the rapid rotation of the armature causing circulating currents of air which effect the ventilation of the machine and also separating the two coils or windings on the two faces of the drum.

The above-mentioned magnetic shield has for its object, first, to secure a uniform field; second, to reduce to a minimum the parasitical currents which would otherwise occur in the pole-pieces with reference to the variations produced in the magnetic field by the teeth of the armature; third, to reduce the air-gap.

The regulator or governor is rotated, as already described, from the main shaft 13 by the bevel-gearings II II. The regulator or governor acts upon the primary brush holder I by means of the wheels m or m and the bevelwheel Z shaft L, and pinion Z in partly turning to a greater or less extent the said brushbearer I in either direction. The regulator puts the windings of the primary coil in opposition and reduces thereby the number of volts absorbed.

In the modification shown by Fig. 2 the centrifugal regulator or governor is replaced by a solenoid-regulator of sufficient strength as to directly control the secondary current. It is composed of aiixed solenoid S, connected to a derivation of the secondary current, which attracts with more or less force the iron core '1, rotated by means of the gears II II by the main shaft B. The rotation of the core T is transmitted to the brush holder I by the wheels on or m acting on the wheel Z shaft L, and pinion Z.

By the diagram Fig. 7 is shown an illustration of the primary winding G of the lamellated core O the wires therefrom extending to the commutator-plates Gr and the brushes, the directions of the currents being shown by the arrows.

By the diagram Fig. 8 is shown an illustra tion of the secondary winding E of the drum system upon the surface of the armature and the arrangement thereof with the commutator-plates E to regulate the current. Thus the speed of the transformer is maintained substantially constant, varying only in the quantity which is necessary to maintain the voltage of the secondary coil exactly the same independently of the number of amperes.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- A machine for transforming a current of constant number of amperes into a current of constant number of volts or inverse characterized by a single inductor, a single armature bearing on the one hand a motor-winding (primary coil) of the system Pacinotti, and on the other hand a generator-winding (secondary coil) of the drum system, a magnetic shield being interposed between the two coils of the armature and a regulator being provided for controlling the position of the primary brushes and volts absorbed by the primary coil according to the watts produced in the secondary coil, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RENE TI-IURY. [11, s]

\Vit-nesses:

E. IMER-SCHNEIDER, E1). Tissor. 

